By Keegan Malan 

The Napa Valley is rightfully known as a very beautiful place, with many lovely spots where you can enjoy the wonders of nature. Here are some that are absolutely worth visiting. 

The Back 40

Located just behind PUC’s airport, the Back 40 offers miles of trails that you can bike, hike, and walk whenever you want. During early to mid spring, a lovely creek flows past the trail called Mossy Rock and one of the trails, and you can enjoy the fine greenery that bursts onto the scene. 

Linda Falls

This is just a 13 minute walk away from PUC. As the name indicates, this trail will take you to a waterfall. You can either walk down to the bottom of the falls or go along the top, tracing it back to its roots as a calm little river and beyond. 

John F. Kennedy Park

You can find this in Napa by the Napa community college campus. If you’d like to walk along the Napa River at sunset, this is the place to do it. If you’d like, you could also kayak in the river and enjoy the scenery that way. There’s plenty of wonderful wildlife to see. It’s beautiful and calming. 

Mount Saint Helena

If you want a challenge, then you might as well climb this mountain. About half an hour from campus in Robert Louis Stevenson State Park, Mt. Saint Helena is difficult, but not terribly hard, and at the very peak, you will be rewarded with a wonderful view of all around you. On clear days, you can even see San Francisco. It’s so quiet at the top. So calm. Just bring plenty of water and snacks, and you will enjoy this hike. 

Lake Hennesy 

A lovely, cool little lake, where you can swim if you so desire, or fish if you have a license. A perfect spot during the summer time to while away the hours in some of the cool shade, talking or just sitting there quietly and enjoying nature, this lake is just 25 minutes away from campus. 

Lake Berryessa

Plenty of good places to swim and cool off. Or if you’d prefer, you can kayak or paddleboard. Go with a group of friends and have some fun, it’s only 40 minutes away. Bring snacks or go to one of the designated spots to have a barbecue. Either way, it’ll be fun. 

There are plenty of other places where you can enjoy the sights of nature. Discover them for yourself, and visit these places as well, and relish in the beauty of the world God has given us.